1. Its Commitment To Original Comedy
If you look at the greatest British sitcoms of recent years, both Channel 4 and the BBC could both stake claims to being the biggest champions of great British comedy talent the BBC has brought us great sitcoms such as The Office, Extras and Outnumbered alongside a number of programmes that allow comedians to gain exposure, ranging from panel shows such as Have I Got News For You to stand-up showcases such as Live At The Apollo (well forgive them for the drivel that is Mrs Browns Boys). Channel 4s output through the years, meanwhile has included Father Ted, Spaced, Phoenix Nights, Peep Show, The IT Crowd and The Inbetweeners. What pips it is Channel 4s investment in new talent. Ricky Gervais made a name for himself on the BBC, but his first television appearances were on Channel 4s Golden Years and the 11 OClock Show, the latter of which also helped to launch the careers of Charlie Brooker and Sacha Baren Cohen. The shows annual Comedy Lab series of pilots meanwhile encourages submissions from little-known individuals and is responsible for the emergence of both Peter Kay and Jimmy Carr. The channel also partially contributed to the rise of individuals such as Armstrong and Miller, Mitchell and Webb and more recently Jack Whitehall by providing them with some of their earliest work. With its experience in nurturing some of the countrys finest comedic talents, Channel 4 will hopefully continue to take chances on newcomers in the future, furthering the UKs reputation as a centre of high quality comedy. Channel 4 isnt perfect, however, and now we move on to areas in which it struggles against its closest competitors.